What If
by Monsterchild
Summary: What would have happened if Jess agreed to marry Tony? Find out in this upside down tale of Jess.
1. Chapter 1

**What If…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bend It Like Beckham.**

**Chapter one: Things Aren't Right Here**

"Joe!" A familiar voice called out to me as I stood on the pitch, watching the players.

I turned around and smiled as Jess ran towards me. "I'm going! They said I could go!" She yelled as we embraced.

The players yelled at me, making me turn to look at them.

"Sorry," Jess said. "I forgot."

"It's okay now. I'm not your coach anymore. We can do what we want." I started leaning in towards her, yearning to kiss her.

"Joe…" She said softly, turning her head away.

I took a step a step back, looking around. "Your dad's not here, is he?"

She laughed slightly and looked at me with those beautiful eyes. "No… It's just…"

"Just what, Jess?" I asked. I had a really bad feeling about what she was about to tell me.

"We can't… _I_ can't do this."

"Why not?"

She took a deep breath. Her seriousness was starting to scare me. "In order to let me go, I had to make a deal with my parents."

Oh no… This wasn't going to be good. "What deal?" I asked her.

She sighed. "I agreed to get married."

My mind was screaming. My heart pounded in my chest. "Jess…"

"To Tony," she added.

"That bloke? I thought he was just your mate…"

"He is but he's doing this to help me. He's doing this so I can play football in America."

"But that doesn't mean-"

"I'm sorry, Joe. I have to go…" She gave me a sympathetic smile and walked away. I stood there watching her walk away from me, maybe forever. That couldn't happen…

AN: Okay, so this is my first Bend It Like Beckham fic so go easy. Not too easy, I like brutal honesty. So please, R&R! Thanks, MonsterChild.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Bend It Like Beckham.

Chapter 2: Help me

I walked up to the Bhamra residence, hoping to reason with her family. And although I'd never seemed to get through to them in previous encounters, I had to try. How could they let their daughter just marry someone she didn't love? I guess that was just their culture.

Her father answered the door. "Can I help you?" He asked.

"Hello, Mr. Bhamra," I said. "If I could, I'd like to talk to you about Jess."

He nodded and led me into the living room where Mrs. Bhamra was sitting. "What is he doing here?" She asked.

"He wasn't to talk to us about Jessi," he said. He looked up the stairs. "Jessi! Come here!"

Jess came down the stairs and stopped when she saw me. "What are you doing here?"

Her father answered before I could even speak. "He wishes to speak to us about you."

I could see on her face that she knew what it was about. She stayed silent.

"Take a seat," he insisted.

Jess and took a seat on the couch while I took a seat in one of the nearby chairs. "I've come to talk to you about your decision," I said. Why was I here? Why was I trying to get them to stop this crazy engagement? "Jess should go to America to play football in college, without having to marry before she goes."

"We have made our decision," her mother said. "She must be married if she wants to go to America. Tony offered, we accepted."

"But does Jess want this?" I asked. I knew I was pressing my luck, really pressing my luck but I had to try. I knew that Jess didn't want this. She just needed to tell her parents that.

"I want to go to America," she snapped at me. "And I will do what I have to do to get there."

"Jesminder will do as she is told," he said. "She must be married before leaving home. Tony is the only boy that has offered and we accept."

"That is all that matters," her mother added.

I knew I was defeated. I would just make an ass of myself if I stayed longer. I stood. "Thank you for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Bhamra," I said. And I left.

Of course, Jess being Jess, she couldn't leave it at that. She had more to say. "What do you think you're trying to do?" She yelled angrily. I hadn't heard her yell like that since the game when she was removed for fighting.

I looked back at her. "I was trying to give you the life that you want," I told her.

She shook her head. "You were trying to give me the life _you_ wanted. _You _want this life with me and you'll do anything to get it. I love football and I will do everything to get to play it. I will marry Tony. There is no stopping it."

I sighed, placing a hand on her cheek. "I want you to play football… But what if I offered to marry you? What if you marry me?"

She pulled away from me. "It's against my culture. It isn't allowed to marry someone of a different race. We can't be together, Joe. You'll just have to accept that." She hugged me, kissed my cheek, and went back inside.

I stood there for a few minutes, trying to regain my focus. She was going to be leaving the country, after she was married, to someone other than me. Too many obstacles. Those weren't going to get in my way.

AN: He's too determined. Anyways, please R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Bend it Like Beckham

Chapter 3: Talk with Tony

Don't ask me how, but I eventually found Tony. I knew that I could talk him out of this. He wanted Jess to be happy as much as I did.

"You're Jess's football coach, right?" he asked as I came up to him.

I nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

He smiled. "She thinks very highly of you…"

My eyes met his. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah…" Gesturing to a nearby bench, he sat and I sat next to him. "I supposed you are here cause of the engagement," he said.

I could feel my shoulders slump. "Can't you call it off?"

I could the regret on his face as he shook his head. "I can't." I opened my mouth to respond but he continued, "I'm doing this for her. She wants to play football and this is the only way. And if your worried about her, you shouldn't be because she is crazy about you. Not to mention that I don't see her that way. To me… She's just Jess and that is all she is."

I sighed. "There is nothing you can do?"

He shrugged. "There is nothing I can do…"

Standing up, I shook his hand. "Well, thanks for everything, Tony."

"No problem," he replied.

And with that, I walked away.

AN: I know, short chapter. And I know it took forever to update. Anyways, please R&R!


End file.
